‘Climbing the ladder’: leadership succession through the development of teachers in self-governed schools in South Africa.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Leadership in schools is seen as invaluable, and the competence of leadership is said
to have a direct correlation to a school’s success. This study serves to understand
what self-governed fee-paying schools do to preserve and create leadership pathways
that ensure constant and effective leadership within their schools in South Africa. The
term ‘climbing the ladder’ in the title refers to post-level 1 teachers, who through
deliberate leadership development in schools have become the top candidates to rise
in the formal management ranks within their schools, and so it is a key phrase in this
study.
This study is located within the interpretivist paradigm, with a qualitative methodology
to aid the outcomes of gaining in-depth knowledge of the creation of succession
pathways within self-governed schools. This study utilised a multiple case study, or a
collective case design, using middle managers and principals at schools as
participants. The sampling and data generation included two self-governed secondary
schools located in the urban area of Durban, within the Umlazi district of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Purposeful sampling, convenience sampling, and concept case
sampling were used to ensure prime participants were utilised (the principals of both
schools) who, through the reputational case scenario, nominated additional
participants in the middle management ranks through snowball sampling.
The data collected for this study were generated in the field, in the natural setting of
the participants, by the researcher. Data were generated through semi-structured
interviews using an interview schedule of pre-determined questions. The analysis of
data employed a thematic analysis of the data done inductively. The data between the
transcripts were then compared using a constant comparison method to develop
analytical categories.
The findings revealed that schools create good leaders who enter an internal
succession plan. This is created by the school through leadership development;
succession planning; identification of future leaders; empowerment through additional
tasks; the characteristics of a leader; having a ‘ladder’ culture, and because of the
characteristics of self-governed schools in South Africa.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.